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I have a tendency to jump ahead of myself sometimes and this is one of them-
I see a lot of shows on Discovery Health and the like about women losing 50 or 60 lbs (or more) and then needing plastic surgery to remove the extra skin and bulk. They can’t see their abs without it, it seems. So do I have to give up my dream of having a flat tummy again? I had rock-hard, flat abs as a teen and I’m not using a fad diet to lose the weight overnight. Heaven knows I don’t want to shell out $12,000 for a tummy tuck when I reach my goal. I’m 48 yrs old and 40 lbs overweight but I’ve been 60 lbs overweight in the past.
Tell me there’s hope for a flat tummy in my future. It sure would be great motivation.
How did they loss the weight? Did they lose it with both diet & exercise? Was it just diet or did they have stomach surgery? I think a lot depends on how quickly it is lost and how.
It is a great question, one that I think about too.
The great majority of them had gastric bypass and lost the weight really fast. I understand why they need the surgery. Their skin had no chance to snap back. But there have been a few who have done it with diet and exercise, “the good, old-fashioned way”. Oh well, maybe one of the other members had heard something.
Thanks for the reply. It’s nice to know I’m not the only way who thinks about it.
From what I understand, because of fast weight loss their skin has not had enough time to shrink back. It all has to do with the elasticity of your skin. It can take a long time for the skin to shrink back and that is why they always recommend losing weight slowly.
After being 60+ pounds overweight and having a baby when I was overweight I’m still waiting for my “baby basket” to disappear, but I still have another 20 pounds to loose.
But even with every 10 pound loss I can see my stomach shrinking.
I hope to see my abs someday! I certainly would never opt for surgery to see them, its just not natural.
Tummy fat is the hardest area to lose, it takes time. When these folks lost ther fat super fast, well like the others have said, the skin has no chance to shrink along with it! If you keep doing cardio and watching your diet, that is the best way to zap your fat....you may also want to read “The Abs Diet"-not a fad diet just teaches you about the right foods to eat to maximize your workouts and ab work. Hang in there, a flat tummy is coming.
Thanks everyone! I actually bought the Abs Diet book for my husband last year but he didn’t do much with it. I know it’s written for men but I’m going to give it a try.
I also have to mention that my husband and I use a dual headphone jack so we can walk outside while we’re both plugged into the same iPod. Anyway, we were out there sweating this morning and I suddenly looked at Bill with big eyes and said, “Hey! That’s MY letter Scott’s reading!!!” We backed it up a bit and listened again. What a cool moment. Thanks Scott!
I can’t say enough about this community. I lost 2.5 pounds this week and it’s all because I keep deciding to take a step and repeat. Hey, does that mean I just heard “the click”?
Great click. I love that you and your Hubby are in this together.
About the tummy fat and abs. Surgery is not necessary! I’ve lost 50 pounds, and can see my abs just fine. There is some loose skin, but it will tighten up, and you can’t really tell that much. Make sure and drink your water to keep the skin hydrated, and you will have no problems. There is always the rare case, but that’s why they make tv, it’s not common. Have fun watching your abs appear!
Thanks Bree,
You were just what I needed! It’s always nice to hear about the stats and the probabilities but nothing beats hearing from someone else who has been in your shoes. I can’t wait....Well, I CAN wait but I wish I didn’t have to!
Also, great tip on the water. It never occured to me to keep my skin hydrated.
Listen to the latest MTM show - Scott talked about your question. Bree is right, as long as you keep building the muscle and lose the weight gradually, the skin tone will return.
I Tell me there’s hope for a flat tummy in my future. It sure would be great motivation.
Sandi
201:183:145
Yes there is definitely hope. For me, I didnt’ have a flat tummy after losing my weight, had excess skin like a roll. I did have surgery but not a tummy tuck, a skinectomy instead where they removed the excess skin. It was a big incision but healed in days as it was just skin and not muscle that was cut through. Was able to do all normal activities but lift weight over 10lbs for about a month. 3 months later and barely the trace of a scar either. So, don’t be afraid if that is the result, way better than being “overweight” and is one of the best things I ever did for myself.
One suggestion that may help is to wear an undergarment with compression, like spanx, etc. There are many cheaper ones in the $6-15 range. I have a medical doctor that swears by that you can train your stomach to look flatter by wearing that. Plus, it doesn’t hurt as you do look better in clothes and although not “sexy” looking are comfortable once you get used to them. I was shocked when I read a people or some such magazine at the gym and they showed that Beyonce and other “perfect” looking stars wear them all the time. They had photos where she was in concert and her dress was blown up and she had on a high waisted model. I guess we all have our insecurities even Beyonce
Speaking of surgery… this is sort of related. My friend’s sister works with someone who had liposuction some time ago. Now, I didn’t know this, but lipo actually damages the fat cells where it takes the fat from. So, this woman gained weight some time after the lipo. Only the weight didn’t go to her belly because it couldn’t, so she ended up getting fat deposited in her wrists, on her back, all places you wouldn’t expect fat to build up. Isn’t that creepy?
As for the skin issues, I’ve been losing weight rather slowly, and I’ve still got flab under my arms, and around my midsection, and weight to lose in my belly, thighs, hips. BUT, every month that goes by, even with very little weight lost in pounds, I can see a difference in my body. My arms look pretty good now, despite small stretch marks on the underside. There’s no actually flapping skin, and with the muscle I’ve acquired in my biceps, triceps, and delts, they look much more solid than I’d have expected. My belly’s still bigger than it should be (though some of that is tommy tumor and will go away when I get around to getting him out) but I have hope that over time everything will firm up. I’d love to get rid of the cellulite on my hips, but I have to remind myself how far that has come already, and just keep at it. You can’t burn off that fat by working that area—you just have to work on the muscle and then burn off the fat with diet and exercise.
I was worried that my face would wrinkle, but it didn’t. It sure got thinner. I have cheekbones again. But other than slight lines around my eyes (my 25-year-old chiro said he has more lines than me around the eyes) I’ve been lucky there. I’m also not a person who has been out in the sun a lot, nor have I been a smoker, two things that cause a lot of skin damage. Last year I did go to a tanning place, but I was soooo careful not to overdo it, no one even noticed I was going. The benefit was that with a little color all over, built very very slowly, I could look at my body differently. I wore skirts with no hosiery for about the first time ever. I don’t know if I’d do it again. I may opt for one of those mildly-tanning body lotions instead. But I’d walked all spring with short-sleeved v-neck t-shirts, and had a ‘farmer tan’ on my arms I was eager to even out.
I really like the Jergens gradual self tanner and firmer. Not sure if the firmer works super well, but I love the way my skin looks and feels when I use it. It’s the only one that didn’t turn me orange, or streak, and I am horrid about putting it on. Just make sure and put some other lotion on your elbows, ankles, and anywhere else that lotion may pool and look unnaturally dark.
I really like the Jergens gradual self tanner and firmer. Not sure if the firmer works super well, but I love the way my skin looks and feels when I use it.
Me too, Bree, the very stuff. It was recommended by someone I work with. I hadn’t applied it since summer, though I used other moisturizers, but I just used it tonight.
I have a friend who lost 260 pounds. The excess skin is a factor of how much you have lost (how stretched out your skin became) more so than the speed you lost it. You’re not really going to absorb THAT much skin. This guy is a physician. He said he will always have the excess skin and it’s sort of a badge of honor for him. The alternative involves two separate surgeries with, as you’d imagine, LONG incisions, hundreds of staples or a whole lot of glue, and has its own complications.
By excercising and losing weight slowly, you will have a good chance of getting a flatter stomach. What is your skin tone like. That is probably a big question too.
Like Linda, I lost weight, I excercised but found I had a “flap” of stomach skin from gaining and losing weight but also from kids. I also had a skinectomy and some lipo on the mid section. (that surgery isn’t done together anymore) and it
was the best thing I did. That was 7 years ago.
Question, maybe Florida is less expensive for surgeries. $12 grand is super high for that surgery and chances are when you are done losing weight and firmed up, tummy tucks are to remove fat, skin tucks don’t.
Josie
